The Puppetmaster
by Alpha Draconis
Summary: A Necromancer known as the Puppetmaster makes his way to Lut Gholein after the death of Andariel, to find a mysterious prisoner of the Sabre Cats. WARNING! Violence and Narlat Weed use! Now all parts all included, as this acclaimed series kicks off!
1. Introduction

DISCLAIMER- I don't own Diablo... yet, anyway the characters are mine, (MINE) but Blizzard Entertainment owns the overall idea. ON WITH THE FIC!  
  
"The Puppetmaster"  
  
By Alpha Draconis  
  
The small battered caravan passed though the mountains, and fields of the Rogue Pass. Andariel had been beaten several days before, and now Warriv and his caravans (including the dubious Gheed). Were travelling to Lut Gholein. The Courageous Five who had beaten Andariel and were now looking to find Tal Rasha's Tomb, which was somewhere beneath the deserts of Aranoch. Four of the five had stayed behind to eliminate any remaining demons in the monastery and to help out the Rogues, but one member travelled East with the caravans. The Necromancer travelled.   
He was referred to as The Puppetmaster, but his real name was Adrian  
Tombes. He was a mid teen, unlike most graduated Necromancers. He had a kind face, blue-grey eyes, and spiked brown hair. He was a veteran of many battles, and was not such a pushover as many of the Rathma are dubbed. He wore Blink bat's Leather armour, which he relieved from Blink bat the Shaman. His armour was incredibly tough, and burned to the touch. His helm had a flawless skull and a chipped ruby socketed into it, while all of his amulets and rings had various mystic powers. He always wore a Spiked shield, imbued by Charsi for him. His main weapons were his Long bow of Beryl, and his Vicious Spiked Club of Shock. Besides that, he could raise several skeletons and skeletal mages, a Golem and was handy in cursing enemies. But now he faced his greatest challenge... listening to Warriv ramble on about Lut Gholein as they crossed a seemingly infinite mountain range. Adrian groaned as Warriv continued. It was going to be a long day...   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~2 Days Later~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Adrian stepped out of the caravan into the burning light of the sun, and into the bustling street of Lut Gholein. Walking around through the metropolis, he found Gheed lying on the ground, smelling of Narlat Weed.  
"Gheed? GHEED!" He yelled at the stoned merchant who didn't answer, except for a snore. Adrian walked by him, and towards the city's gate. He stopped and talked to the guard.  
"Hey," He began, "Could you open this gate up for me?"  
"Your funeral." He simply put, motioning other guards to heave open the gates.  
"Thanks." Adrian said stepping out of the city's limits.   
"Whatever."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
After a while in the blistering sun with no foes to vanquish, and nothing of value lying around, Adrian was more than a little frustrated.   
If Baal is here, then where are all the monsters, he grumpily thought. He stepped onto a small rock outcropping, and looked ahead.   
He was shocked, and saw several Sabre Cat females all in circles around one victim, kicking him relentlessly. Adrian was disgusted but realized he had to act when one of them was about to drive a spear into the wounded one.   
Adrian focused hard and... a large pile of rock burst upward in front of the Sabre Cat scaring it badly. The rock took shape as a Golem, and its massive arms instantly snapped the cat's neck and turned towards the other shocked enemies. With the surprise entrance buying him time, Adrian ran out towards his monster and summoned a Skeletal Mage from the Sabre Cat. The now three allies of good charged at the remaining four Sabre Cats. In one powerful blow Adrian, the Puppetmaster swung his spiked club and severed two of the Sabre cats heads, sending them flying, while the Golem preformed a massive body slam crushing one cat into a bloody pulp. The Skeletal Mage shot a bolt of fire at the last cat, which erupt in flames and ran around shrieking for several seconds, and then the shrieking stopped.   
The Puppetmaster ran to the fallen victim and pulled back the cloak's hood and was utterly shocked.  
"I-It's a Sabre Cat!" He choked out. The Mage raised his hands, but the Necromancer stopped him and wordlessly stepped towards the feline beauty.  
She was the enemy, or was she? He looked at the usually vicious cat; she seemed so weak, so fragile, and so... innocent.  
"I can't believe I'm doing this..." He groaned as he lifted her up in his arms and begun to walk back towards Lut Gholein, calling back to his confused minions. "Well are you going with me or not." The minions, still confused followed. Adrian didn't know what would happen next. Today had been a day like no other.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED!  
Alpha Draconis- Well whaddya think? Also in the later parts, more of the Courageous Five meet up with the Puppetmaster.  
  
  
  



	2. Saber Cats

Here is part 2 of my Diablo series, which takes place in the beginning of the second Act (of the game). Anyway, on with the fic!  
  
"The Puppetmaster"  
  
By Alpha Draconis  
  
Adrian, the Puppetmaster, groaned with heavy weight of the Saber cat in both his arms, for he wasn't used to dragging half alive cat women through the hot deserts of Aranoch. His NecroMage (Skeletal Mage) and Clay Golem slightly trailed behind their master exchanging glances of their confusion, anger, and utter disapproval of their master's decision to be the hero. Adrian sighed a happy sigh of relief, seeing the City of Lut Gholein; even his two minions seemed relieved. Adrian made sure to cover the Saber Cat with her cloak, to draw less attention to him and his new friend.   
Adrian walked through the gate into the city, and noticed Griez staring at him, while Adrian tried his best to ignore him.  
"Hey Puppet...guy!' he yelled to Adrian. Adrian groaned and thought, I took the time to learn your name the least you could do is remember mine.  
"Yeah?" Adrian replied still walking.  
"Who's the corpse?'  
"Uhh... Someone in desert who was being attacked by the Saber Cats."  
Well it was truthful, he just kept out the part of her bring a Cat herself.   
"Oh." He said, sounding almost disappointed, but Adrian had no time to wonder about that for he had arrived at Elzix's Inn. Warriv had told him that the top floors had nice rooms, perfect for weary travelers like him.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~Several Minutes and Hundred Gold Later~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Adrian hauled the unconscious Saber Cat up several more stairs and unlocked a door to his Inn room. It was a very good room, he thought for this coastal city. It has a balcony with a beautiful view of the ocean, a large bed with silk sheets, and washroom with a bath (much to his surprise), and works of art displayed throughout the suite. Adrian laid the Saber Cat down on a chair, and couldn't help but to run and jump on his bed.  
"Now THIS is living!" He yelled across the room to his two monsters, who just looked at each other and shrugged. The Saber Cat moaned in her unconscious state. "Oh yeah." Remembered. "You guys stay here." He said to his minions, while leaving the room. "I need to get some healing potions. Let's just hope ht old fossil hasn't sold them all..."   
  
"Err, what's that? Wheeling motion?" Lysander replied straining to hear the Necromancer.  
"I-SAID-HEALING-POTION!" Adrian yelled directly at the old man.  
"Oh, well didn't you say so?" Adrian groaned. "I have minor and light healing potions available now, as well as some antidotes, and Oh! Yes, I just fermented a new batch of Stamina potions."  
"Good, I'll take one of each." Adrian replied. Lysander eyed him oddly.  
"You seem to be in good health... Methinks these aren't for you. Am I right?' He sheepishly grinned.   
"That is none of your concern old timer." Adrian simply replied. Lysander smiled and exchanged the elixirs for the gold. Adrian thanked them man and walked across the market to Deckard Cain, who was still standing in his usual spot.  
"Hello my friend." Cain began in his usually happy tone.  
"Hi Cain..."  
"What's wrong? You seem... distraught."  
"Oh... it's nothing, well... I rescued a maiden from the Saber Cats."   
"Well that's good, to know that can rescue some of the innocent now, back in Tristram, the warriors found no survivors, and rescued no one."  
"Uh yeah, Tristram." Adrian thought to where he and the Courageous Five had traveled to Tristram. He had found Wirt's body, and narrowly escaped Griswold. He still had Wirt's leg. It was always a grim reminder of what would happen if good did not prevail. He then realized Cain was still talking to him.   
"... So with the next Caravans arriving tomorrow, you barbarian friend will be joining us very soon, but I don't know about the others."  
"That's okay Cain. Umm... What did you say before that?" Now it was Cain's turn to groan.  
"I said Atma wishes to speak to you."  
"Oh, thanks Cain, after that I better checks on the two stooges, I wonder if they've trashed my room yet..." Adrian walked out of the marketplace top the other side of town to the tavern. He wandered in as several drunken guards, stumbled out. Atma instantly called Adrian over to where she was.  
The Necromancer stepped in the kitchen as the barmaid walked out.  
"Excuse me. Puppetmaster?" The owner of the tavern asked with fear in her voice.  
"Please, call me Adrian."   
"Right, Adrian I have a favor to ask of you."  
Adrian raised an eyebrow. When you asked a favor from a Necromancer, they would always collect. "Continue." He urged.  
"Well, a few weeks ago, a monster deep in the sewers, begun to take the lives of our townsfolk. My husband and son were no exception... Anyway I was wondering if you could destroy the foul beats and put an end to his reign of terror?"  
"My barbarian friend shall be arriving soon. Tomorrow we'll take out the bogeyman in the sewers."  
"THIS ISN'T A JOKE!" She yelled. All eyes in the tavern (sober or not) looked over at her. "I'm sorry..."  
"Entirely my fault." Adrian said. "I should have kept my mouth shut, now if you'll excuse me, I must be off." With that Adrian walked out of tavern, and set off to his inn room.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Adrian unlocked the door and found his skeletal mage still wandering/patrolling his room, while the Golem was sleeping like a baby on the balcony. Hey, they may be artificial beings, but they have feelings too!  
"How is our guest?" Adrian asked the Necromage. With much study of skeleton mastery, a Necromancer can summon minions with the ability to communicate.  
"Over there." The hoarse, scraping voice of the skeleton replied. Adrian walked over to the sleeping beauty, and he took the potions out of his backpack and begun using them. After bandaging up her wounds, and sterilizing her cuts on her arms and legs (he would have done her chest, but he was too bashful too remove her armor) he laid her down on his bed. By now his Golem awoke, belched (what a slob!) and then walked into the suite and sat down on the floor next to his master who was in deep thought.  
"I don't know Golem, do you think I did the right thing? I saved her from death, but she's the enemy, and will probably turn against me the first chance I get. What do you think?"  
Golem stared blankly at him for a minute. "Oh forget it! Look like she's coming to..."  
Indeed, the tan coloured Saber Cat was beginning to awake. She was a little groggy but was fully awake when she realized she didn't know where she was, she jumped up, alert and ready for combat.  
"No it's okay! I mean no harm-" He was cut off by a ceramic jug smashing against his head as the feline beauty begun to throw anything she could grab at him. " I *ow* mean *slam* no *smash* harm! Now can we all calm down?"  
The cat put down the lamp she was ready to throw, and decided to hear him out.  
"You would have bee killed in the desert by the other Saber Cats. I, we rescued you and are trying to heal you."  
She eyed him oddly for a moment. "Yeah I know, a human helping out a Saber Cat. Don't ask me why, but it seemed like the right thing to do."  
The cat was now sitting on his bed totally calm. "My name is Adrian. What is yours?" For a second he wondered if she could speak English, but his question was answered.  
"M-my name is Shelia." She shakily, almost uncertainly replied.  
"Alright. Now that that's settled, you should take a bath to clean your wounds, you took a fair beating out there and potions won't heal everything."  
She sneered. "I hate water."  
"You're to have to bath."  
"I HATE water."  
"Well you're going to take a bath whether you like it, or-" CRASH!  
Adrian lay on the ground with the smashed remnants of a clay pot all around his head. The Golem turned to the Necromage and said.  
"I think she like him."  
  
TOBE CONTINUED!  
  
In the next chapter, Adrian's old barbarian friend comes to Lut Gholein; Radament (monster Atma hates) shows his ugly, mummified face, and more of Shelia past is revealed.   



	3. Shake, Rattle, And Roll

Here is part 2 of my Diablo series, which takes place in the beginning of the second Act (of the game). Anyway, on with the fic!  
  
"The Puppetmaster"  
Part III  
  
By Alpha Draconis  
  
  
Adrian quickly wiped the sweat from his forehead as he blocked the sword blow from the burning dead. Adrian's Spiked Shield cut through the weak decayed bone of the one skeleton, and the Adrian ran to aid his Necromage and Golem who weren't holding out too well.  
Adrian and his two soldiers went down into the sewers to avenge the loss of Atma's son and husband (and too vanquish evil), but Adrian insisted that Sheila, the Saber Cat whose life he saved to stay in the Inn, to alert less attention and to not hurt herself. Unfortunately, Adrian had forgot to stock up on mana potions and could not summon any more minions to help him. When they stepped down to the second level of the sewer, Radament had planned a trap, and thirty or so Burning Dead, and of course the Sand Raiders had ambushed the small group, now they were struggling to escape.  
Golem and the Necromage were backed up against a wall and five Sand Raiders closed in eyes and swords gleaming. The Necromage shot out a fiery blast incinerating several of the Raiders, while Golem pummelled forward, insanely crushing the foes. Adrian's enchanted spiked torn through bone and flesh as he nimbly dodged fire arrows of the archers, but upon seeing the platoon of Skeletal Mages advancing, made a quick decision.  
"Golem! Mage! Retreat! Run towards the stairs! NOW!" Adrian yelled as he blocked several arrows with his shield. Golem put down the Sand Raider Corpse and jogged towards the stairs, while the Necromage ran at full speed occasionally turning around to fire bolts of fire aiding his master.  
Adrian turned and ran, but the Raiders were gaining fast, and that haggis he had for lunch wasn't sitting right, so using his remaining mana, his summoned up the one thing that could give him a head start. Bones erupted from the ground and intertwined forming a perfectly impassable, and sharp bone wall. Adrian ran to the stair with the cursing of the raiders far back in the bowels of the sewer.  
  
  
  
Adrian, sweating and bleeding opened the door to his inn room, trailed by a crumbling Golem, and a worn out Skeletal Mage. The trio collapsed in the room. Sheila who was quietly cat napping had just awoken and noticed this.  
"What the heel happened to you? You look like you gone to hell and back!" She yelled in shock.  
"Nah, we just went to the sewers." Adrian said before drifting into unconsciousness.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The trail of caravans creaked onwards through the deserts of Aranoch. Now that the Rogue pass was open, many of the merchants from the west were traveling back towards the Lut Gholein. There was one special guest in one of the caravans, one of the Courageous Five! It was the Barbarian, known only as The Hammer. He was a large brute, with considerably strong armour, reinforced by a layer of chain mail under it. He was Clad in his Heavy Gloves of the Fox, and his Chain Boots tainted red with the blood of his fallen enemies. He chose to wear no helmet, but his skin was as strong as leather, making a natural helmet.   
  
He used two Maces, one of Shock, and one of Flame, or the Heavenly Striker and Hell's Flame as he calls them. He always carries a large War Hammer passed down from generation to generation in his family lineage. The Hammer was said to have been imbued by the Legendary Malus that belongs to the Rogues, but that was unverified.   
Nevertheless, The Hammer used the weapon flawlessly. But now fighting was not what he had in mind. In fact he was sleeping like a baby on the roof of the caravan until...  
"SPEAR CATS! GET THE CARAVANS MOVING!' The leader of the merchants hollered to the rest of the caravan troupe. Hammer lazily opened his eyes and saw twelve or so Spear Cats running from behind a sand dune, down towards the caravans with a murderous glint in their eyes. One particularly large Cat had a large whip and barked out orders to her minions. The Hammer lazily reached into his pack, pulled out Hell's flame and tossed it at the head cat. The mace crushed into the feline head with a burst of fire instantly killing her and shocking the other cats. The cats all turned and bared their teeth at the Barbarian who now stood atop the caravan, the sun glinting off of him, with a menacing smile and the large war hammer loosely held in his left hand. The Spear cats charged at once, while the Hammer dove from atop the Caravan and rushed to meet his foes. Time seemed to slow down incredibly as the Hammer ran upwards on the sand dune and swung his War Hammer sending a Spear Cat flying, as he continued to run and swung the hammer back in the opposite direction impaling a Spear cat and sending her flying alongside her sister cat. The barbarian was swarmed when three cats lunged on him but were flung off like rag dolls when he yelled out his terrifying war cry. Now the only cat left lay forty feet in front of him. She smirked, readied her javelin, and charged forward. The barbarian ran forward and powerfully threw his hammer at the cat that ducked and dodged his attack, yet both combatants kept charging each other in this deadly game of chicken. When it looked like the hammer would fall to the ground, it arched back like a boomerang, sailing inches past the cat's head, landing in the waiting palms of the barbarian who swung it mightier.  
"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGHH!" He yelled as he swung the hammer upon the cat unmercifully. She stood no chance. The barbarian retrieved his mace and several hundred gold from the corpse and walked back to the now cheering merchants, chanting his name.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Alone atop a large stone pillar unnoticed by the barbarian or the merchants, stood lone one Huntress. She looked like a normal feline, except she looked like an Egyptian priestess (minding that she is a black cat/human. In her right hand she held a Green sceptre shaped to that of a emerald green cobra, with a perfect skull it its mouth, and a ruby on its back; a true marvel of the forge. In her free hand, she loosely held an oil potion. The feline priestess had watched the entire battle and studied the barbarian, memorizing every weakness, calculating his thought patterns. She looked down upon the merchants who were praising the warrior.  
"Fools," She said, "They will be dead within several days." She gazed down upon them again. "The Necromancer has complicated my plans, but hopefully everything will fall into place." She smiled at her own plan. "What a surprise it will be for the rest of the Courageous Five to come to Lut Gholein to find their comrades dead. Eradicating these fools will be easier than expected. I can believe that whore Andariel fell victim to these... nothings." She thought back to the Saber Cats, and sneered. "Those fools couldn't even kill one rebel Saber Cat without screwing everything up. Still... these two warriors may pose some threat. Radament will not be able to stand up to them... for a while anyway." The caravans were moving on. "I must make my moves carefully, all could still be lost." She ended watching the caravans travel out of sight.   
  
  
Adrian awoke in his bed, with his wounds treated and bandaged. He looked around to find his minions waiting for him at the foot of his bed, well the Necromage was, his Golem as sleeping like a uh, rock. Adrian stood up from his bed, still groggy from the battle with the undead. He walked over to his Necromage and tried to get the story of what had happened.  
"Uh, would you mind telling me what happened?" Adrian asked his fire Necromage. The Necromage replied in a harsh voice.   
"The feline used your remaining healing potions to heal your wounds."   
"Is that so..." Adrian thought walking into the main room of the inn room and spoke to Shelia, who was trying to repair a whip of hers.  
"My mage told me you did..." Adrian   
"So." She quickly replied, while still repairing the whip.  
"So you saved my life... and thank you." He finished. Shelia turned away trying hard not to blush. No one had ever thanked her for anything. Ever since she was a kitten, all she knew of was treachery, deception, and evil. But this warrior seemed... different. She was told Necromancers were treacherous evil sorcerers only looking out for number one, but nearly everything she had learned had turned out to be lies. When she hunted humans with her pack, the warriors they faced were fearless, and cold hearted, but Adrian seemed somehow different.   
"Uh, Shelia?" Adrian asked.  
"Yes?" She replied.  
"Can I ask you a personal question?" He timidly asked. Sheila seemed intrigued.  
"Okay."  
"Why were the other Sabre Cats going to kill you?"   
Sheila closed her eyes remembering her past and spoke.   
"My pack had taken out several caravans and we were killing off any survivors. I entered one caravan, and there lay a deceased human female. She must have banged her head or something, but she protected he infant in her arms. That day changed my life. Seeing that human child, and what we had ultimately done to its mother, made me realise that the humans weren't the monsters, but we were."  
Adrian was shocked, interested and confused, but still listened on. "When my pack's leader ordered me to kill the child I refused, and they saw me as a heretic. I was imprisoned for several days, and then they dragged me into the desert. That's when you rescued me." He ended looking away from him REALLY trying not to blush. Before either could speak, there cam e pounding on the room's door.   
"Quick! Hide!" Adrian yelled as quietly as possible. He went to the door as Sheila dove under the bed. Adrian opened the door to find his friend Warriv.  
"Warriv?"   
"Good news my friend, the second group of caravans have arrived! And with them your barbarian friend!" Warriv cheerfully informed.  
"ALL RIGHT!" Adrian yelled running past Warriv, and jumping down the inn stairs with his two minions desperately trying to catch up.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The Hammer stepped out of the caravan and onto the sandy ground of Lut Gholein. With the wind blowing in his face and the sun high in the sky, it was a beautiful day. Wait a second who was that running towards him? Adrian? My god, it is Adrian!  
"ADRIAN!" The fierce barbarian bellowed.  
"Hey Ardy!" The Necromancer replied as he ran up to his friend.  
"Uh, would you mind not calling me by my name while were in public?"  
"Okay... Ardy."  
"Seriously, if you say my name one more time, I'll take this war hammer and jam it up your ass!"  
"Still the same old barbarian, anyway I've rented a room at the local inn, are you?"  
"Sure see you there later."  
"Bye, and watch out for the Itches!"  
"I HATE bugs." Ardy, err... The Hammer muttered.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The Hammer paid the room fee and collected his room key from Elzix.   
"Here's you room, number 4 on the second floor your right across the Necromancer, and the woman."  
"Good, that's- WHAT?! Adrian has a woman with him?"  
"Well sure, he came here carrying her in both his arms. I haven't seen her yet but I hear them talking every now and then."  
"He-He, that dog. I wonder who it is?" He said walking up the stairs towards his room. He paused and looked at Adrian's room. He heard two people talking quietly. He thought for a minute and decided to see who it was.  
"Hey Adrian, my room's right across from yours and-" He froze when he saw that the 'woman' was actually a Sabre Cat.  
"I can explain!" The Necromancer yelled.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"It's not what you think!" Adrian began.  
"Oh so you're saying you didn't take a Sabre Cat, one of our enemies into this populated city, and keeping her a secret?"  
Adrian had no reply.  
"Well?" the barbarian pushed.  
"Hey leave him out of this!" Shelia defended.  
"Yeah at least hear me out." Adrian retorted.  
"Fine."  
"She was exiled from her pack for not killing a human child, she would've died if I hadn't have rescued her from the other Sabre Cats and treated her wounds. If everyone in town knew of her, she'd be one dead kitty."  
The barbarian sighed at his friend's kind and trusting nature.  
"You're taking an awfully big risk here Adrian."  
"From where I'm standing, it's no risk."  
  
TO BE CONTINUED  
  
Next Time- Death of Radament? Where's the Horadric Cube? And what of this Feline Sorcerer? To Be Answered in Part IV!!!!   



	4. Shake, Rattle, And Roll (2)

You know the drill....  
  
"The Puppetmaster"  
Part IV  
  
By Alpha Draconis  
  
Adrian wiped the sweat from his brow as he swung his weapon at the skeleton, totally crushing it. He and the Hammer had travelled down to the sewers to take out Radament. But now there were hordes of skeletons blocking their way. The Hammer swung his maces mightily, showing no mercy. Adrian was thankful for several seconds of time to Necromance two more skeletal mages, one of ice, and one of lightning. The three mages shot forth their magical attacks that crushed through the attackers like a hot knife through butter. With the skeletons out of the way, the Hammer motioned the Necromancer and his minions to follow him down a dark, dank, passageway.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
After what seemed an eternity of walking down the hallway, with a growing stench of rotting flesh, the warriors saw torches in a small room not too far ahead. The Hammer motioned his lips to his mouth indicating they had to be silent. The mages and Adrian crept alongside the wall, as the Golem tried horribly to tiptoe down the passage.  
The Hammer peeked into the room, and jumped away as a ball energy shot at him, barely missing. All of the warriors looked in a strange mix of fear, disgust, and nausea at the monstrous creature.   
Radament was clothed in decaying and torn garments that would fit a Pharaoh. He held a staff in his right hand. His skin was tough leathery material that was pulled taught over his bones, but was cut and missing in several areas. His face... was not there! A distorted and broken skull with various snakes curling in and out of his hideous skull. He looked and smelled like death. His hissed an eerie wail of anger at the invaders before firing dark orbs of energy at them.  
The mages rolled out of the orb's path and fired simultaneously at the beast, while the Golem charged and tackled the eerie mummy into the wall of his dank crypt. While Golem was pummelling the monster, the Hammer threw his hammer at the creature. Radament pulled Golem into the hammer's path. Sadly, Golem did not make it. Adrian fired off his magical Teeth spell at the monster, until... A Javelin soared into the side of the monster, stunning it.  
"Hey guys," A voice from behind Adrian, "Starting without me?"   
"SHEILA!" Adrian shouted. "Have you lost your mind? What if the townspeople see you?" The Hammer could only laugh. "Sheila! You can't help us fight the thing, it's too powerful!"  
The mummy roared violently at the attackers. Sheila threw her javelin deftly. It crushed right threw the monstrosity's skull. Radament collapsed onto the ground. "I could be wrong." Adrian ended watching the now dead corpse. "Sheila how did you get by the townspeople?" Adrian asked concerned. Sheila put a large skull mask on her head.   
"With this mask and my Javelin skills, I could pass for an Amazon... of the Courageous Five." She ended.  
"Woah, you impersonating Phoenix, man she's gonna be pissed off." The Hammer said while looting through the crypt."  
"You're damn right she's gonna be pissed off." Adrian yelled at Sheila.  
"C'mon, are you saying you never did anything wild or dangerous?" Sheila teased. Adrian replied.   
"Well one time I impersonated a demon, but this is completely different!"  
"Hey guys," The Hammer said, "Was Radament carrying any scrolls?" The arguing two looked over to him. "Well this is some strange scroll..."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
"My ward! The lost Horadric scroll! What a fortunate turn of events..." Cain the Elder prattled.   
"I know it's nice Cain, but what does it do?" The masked 'Amazon' asked.  
"Hmm...It speaks of Tal Rasha's Tomb." Cain said as all of the heroes, heroine, and Necromages listened intently. "It says that the Horadrim sealed off his chamber with magical staves. After nearly losing one to thievery, the order divided the staves into two pieces, the shaft and the headpiece. These two pieces can be combined with a Horadric Cube. You need the staff in order to open Tal Rasha's Tomb. The shaft can be found in the maggot lair, the headpiece in the Claw Viper Temple, and lastly the Cube is in the Dry Plains. I think that about covers it."   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Several Hours Later ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The Hammer hacked away at the Sand Maggots with his twin maces. He jumped several feet in the air and ran down the passage running fearlessly through swarms of insects. He ran into the large clearing and saw his goal. Coldworm was sitting defenceless in his chamber, half-asleep. The Hammer jumped onto his backed and swung his maces into the creature's back. It screamed as the barbarian hacked and tore away it's flesh, knee-deep in it's back just hacking away mindlessly. It screamed and convulsed as it began to arch up and poison and blood squirted out of it. The Hammer jumped off it and took cover under a rock as the giant maggot exploded, and kibbles of him (her?) pelted down.   
The Hammer peeked out and saw his goal. He ran over to the chest, pocketed the gold, and saw his prize. He clutched the staff of kings as he cast a town portal and stepped into the bright blue oval.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Sheila slammed her buckler into the Cave Leaper as it jumped at her trying to get a meal out of her. Adrian and his minions were forcing their way through the Cave Leaper pack towards the portal he cast. One particularly large Leaper dove at Sheila from behind, but Adrian swung his spiked club at the creature tearing it apart. It also dropped a Mourning Star; the skeleton mages all ran into the portal. Sheila was waiting for Adrian  
"C'Mon! Ditch the club and take the weapon!' She yelled as she saw more Cave Leapers running for them from their caverns.  
"This club has sentimental value!" He yelled back retrieving his club.   
Sheila knew he wouldn't make it.   
"I can't believe I'm doing this...' She muttered as she ran over to Adrian, picked up the Mourning Star and him and threw them into the portal as she followed, mere seconds before the Cave Leapers advanced.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Adrian fell onto the hot brick road of Lut Gholein, where the portal dropped him off. Sheila fell onto him and crushed him.  
"Owww..." He moaned as she got of.  
"Relax," She said, "At least you got your Mourning Star, an enchanted one at that."  
"Yeah." He muttered. "Hey wait a minute, this is a mourning star of lightning!"  
"That's good?" She asked a little confused.  
"Hell yeah, it better than my club. Thanks for bringing it with you through the portal.  
"Uh... Okay."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"So, all we need is the headpiece?" Adrian asked his friend, and trusted warrior the Hammer.  
"Mm, Hm..." He replied cooking his fish over the small campfire.  
"Uh guys..." Sheila nervously said while looking to the sky.  
"Ard-, Hammer, do you know where the headpiece is?"  
"Guys..."  
"My best bet would be the Claw Vipers."  
"Claw Vipers?"  
"Guys."  
"Evil serpent like monsters, that have a built a Temple in this area."  
"Hmm... Drognan might know..."  
"GUYS!" The two warriors turned to Sheila. "Have you noticed this evening has been awfully long." The all turned to the sky. "I can't see any stars, and it looks like a solar eclipse. But this is a little long."  
The Hammer responded. "For a stinking, demon from hell, she's got a point."  
"Hey! We're not from hell, it's just our species is controlled by Mephisto."  
"She's got you there Ar-"  
"I'll still jam this hammer up your ass!"  
"Okay... Ardidar Mc Fluffles!" He yelled at the already mad barbarian.  
"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" He yelled lunging at Adrian, while Sheila couldn't help but laugh at the not-so manly barbarian.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
It had been... uh some time since the argument and the trio learned from Drognan, that the Claw Viper had a mystical structure, which caused the unnatural eclipse. That was several hours ago now the trio approaches the second floor of the temple (time flies).  
  
Sheila tossed several javelins through the skulls of several Vipers, sending the remaining Claw Vipers in a panic. The Hammer bellowed fiercely as he mightily swung the hammer through the corpses of undead mummies. The three skeletal mages bombarded the larger mummy resurrecting the fallen mummies. A Claw Viper grabbed around Sheila's chest to be met by her fists.  
"PERVERT!" She yelled as she jammed her javelin deep into the monster's throat. As she watched the monster claw at the javelin lodged in it's throat, another snuck up behind her. It lunged as a spear of bone shot through the air like a bullet. It sent the Vipers head to the other side of the room with a look of pure astoundment on its grisly face. He's saving me again, Sheila thought as she retrieved her javelin. More vipers were pouring in through another room.  
"HAMMER THE ALTER!" Adrian yelled to the hammer as he fired bolt upon bolt of bone at the Vipers. The mighty barbarian leaped over a decayed mummy beside the pedestal. He yelled furiously and brought the War Hammer crashing down upon the alter smashing it to pieces. A the temple begun to shake as section of the roof cracked open spilling sunlight into the dank crypt of the temple. The Vipers hissed and fled back into the shadows.   
"Not bad for a fruitcake." Sheila joked.  
"I'm going to take this little kitty to the vet is she doesn't shut up." The Hammer responded. Sheila hissed at him, while Adrian wondered what on Earth could power the alter. It was an amulet, no the Horadric Headpiece!  
"Guys! I found the headpiece!" The arguing warriors ignored Adrian.  
"Dumdass!" Sheila yelled.  
"Bitch!" Hammer bellowed.  
"Moron!"  
"Daughter of a bitch!"  
"That's for dogs dumbass!" She yelled back.  
"Guys! Headpiece?" They turned to him as if he just arrived. Adrian placed the two pieces into the Cube. The Hammer crossed his fingers for luck. The Cube glowed incredibly bright, but from it came the Horadric Staff!   
"Success!" Sheila exclaimed.  
"Good, now let's partay!" The Hammer exclaimed. "Man I'm gonna get more wasted than Geglash!"   
"Well, it has been a while since we relaxed..."  
"Great the other two exclaimed dragging Adrian back to Lut Gholein. The skeleton mages looked to each other, shrugged, and ran after them.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"GO! GO! GO! GO! GO! GO!" The barflies chanted on as the Hammer drained the last contents of the beer keg, threw the keg aside, and belched louder than any of his war cries. Adrian was shocked, disgusted, confused, and overall scared of his friend. Geglash congratulated the barbarian.  
"Well, I didn't fink it wud happen, but yur a hevyer drinka than mahself."  
"Are u talking to me?" The barbarian slurred back. "Cuz If u r..." He trailed off by throwing a punch at Geglash, but wound up punching himself to the floor.  
"Okay this is getting too stupid, I'm outta here!" Adrian said leaving. His skeletal mages stepped over the passed out barbarian and following him.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Halt!' One guard to Lut Gholein's said. "Oh, it's the Amazon." Another guard grunted in agreement. The Amazon marched in the city grumbling and cursing.  
"What's with you?" The one guard asked.  
"I'll tell you," She barked, "I was in the desert and I save several of the Harems from Sabre Cats and what? They say true warriors only rescue them. Humph! And what are Amazons Then?"  
"No kidding... a bunch of Harems... alone... in the desert... needing to be rescued." The two guards looked at each other and quickly abandoned their posts. The Amazon watched them leave. She laughed as her body reverted to its original shape... that of a Sabre Cat priestess.  
"Testosterone, driven fools can't even see that they are walking intro a trap." She wickedly smiled as she dove behind a buildingwatching the Necromancer Adrian Tombes. After he left, the priestess cast a spell and the temperature dropped severely. The temperature was nearly as cold as her smile... nearly.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
It was later that night when Sheila awoke nearly frozen. She breathed and saw her own breath. She had slept on the couch, but that bed with silk sheets was looking pretty nice right about now. Even the skeleton mages, in the room's corner, sitting down (sleeping?) looked frozen. Sheila was freezing so she walked over to the bed where Adrian was sleeping peacefully. She crawled under the sheets and snuggled up to Adrian and fell asleep instantly.   
"Golem was right, she does like him." The Fire Mage said.  
"Oh, s-s-s-shut up-p-p-p." Another mage chattered.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED!!!!   
  
Whaddya think? Next time-???  



	5. Battle of the Superpowers

You know the drill...  
  
"The Puppetmaster"  
Part V  
  
  
  
By Alpha Draconis  
  
  
It was a cold mourning. Very cold. The mercenaries guarding the front gate were shaking in their armor. Since the two guard decided to take their breaks last night, the mercenaries had to fill in for them. But they didn't like it.  
"Damn cold, hey Sanchez."  
"Mmm." The other guard replied.   
"Why the hell are we here again?"  
"Because the guards left."  
"Hrmph! If you ask me, they were out to get some with those slutty Harems... Hmm, that's not such a bad idea..."  
"Doubtful, they didn't go to their homes last night."  
"Harems, Narlat weed, authority. You mix them and you get trouble."  
"You dance with Mary Jane, and you get your toes stepped on."  
"... Dude you need a hobby."  
" I do have a hobby."  
"Really?"  
"I collect pornography."  
".... "  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Adrian yawned (shivered) and opened his eyes. He was about to stand up when he noticed sleeping beside, him, purring loudly, was none other than Sheila! He glanced at her, and shook his head. No, never in a million years... still... she is kind of hot... in an evil demoness sort of way, he thought, closing the window curtains. He looked back over at Sheila who was sleeping soundly with a large smile on her face. Adrian hit himself on the head and walked over to his skeleton Mages who lay 'asleep' on the floor. Adrian noticed that the skeletons weren't awake and walked over to other room. Stifled chuckles were heard from the bedroom. Adrian poked his head back into the room and looked around. He left, and the skeletons stifled their laughter.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Uh, Sanchez..."  
"Yeah."   
"You better come see this!" The nervous guard replied to his dozing partner. He walked over to his partner and looked outwards to the desert from the ramparts of Lut Gholein's walls.  
"WHAT THE FUCK!?!" He yelled at the top of his lungs. The scene was very ominous.  
Twenty or so feet away from Lut Gholein's protective wall lay hundreds upon hundreds of Saber Cats. Not just Saber Cats mind you, there were Hell Cats, Huntresses, Spear Cats, and just about every type of feline warrior. All camping in a makeshift Shantytown just out of reach of throwing weapons. The cats were doing many things, sharpening weapons, hunting and eating any wildlife, or even more ominous were several cats setting up medium sized siege weapons like catapults, battering rams, and Ballistae. "Jerhyn's not gonna like this at all..."   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
"Let's go everybody! THIS IS NOT A DRILL!" Griez shouted towards his mercenaries. Who ran toward the walls and clambered up onto the ramparts, poleaxes, bardiches, and scythes poised ready, but they were hopelessly outnumbered. The cats took little notice of this and continued on preparing for a battle. The mercenaries looked back to each other, grimaced and looked outward. Several citizens were trying to fortify the gate by piling large rock in front of it. Things were not looking good...  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Sheila yawned and awoke, stretching and looking around. Adrian and his mages had left. She rummaged through her belonging, and donned her skull mask, javelins, ring mail, and lastly her whip. She tied on he belt, which had several poison, and oil potions in it. She borrowed Adrian's spare shield and walked out of the inn room and into the streets. Everyone was carrying weapons, and trying to barricade off their homes.   
"What's going on?" She asked a townsman wielding a scythe. He grunted and pointed over to the front wall where Griez and his troops were trying to defend Lut Gholein. Ardidar and Adrian were there too.   
She ran over to them. What's going on now?" She asked the trio. Griez looked away and walked over to his troops. Adrian spoke softly to her as her and his skeletal mages stepped up onto the ramparts.   
"Why don't you see it for yourself."   
Surprised, she stepped up the wooden ladder and looked out to the desert. "My god..." She whispered overcome with the sheer masses of the feline fighters. "How many are there?" She asked. Adrian looked down.   
"Close to one thousand."  
"I never knew..." She muttered.  
"I bet you've been working for them all along and have just been hiding it!" The Hammer accused.   
"ME! I HATE THOSE THINGS!" She yelled most of the guards tried not to hear and moved away from the arguing warriors.   
"No offense, but those things look like better company than you!" With that remark Sheila kicked the Hammer in the one place you would never want to be kicked. Hammer fell down cursing and crouched in a ball as Sheila left. The mercenaries laughed, or cheered Sheila. Adrian commanded his skeletons to guard the ramparts. He chased after Sheila towards the dock.   
  
Sheila sat down at the dock's edge looking out to the sea.   
"I miss traveling those seas." Meshif startled her. "Now Jerhyn's keeping me docked here... but not for long I think he said gesturing to the front wall. Sheila nodded.  
"The barbarian thinks I am betraying this city to them." She said. Meshif laughed as he went back to his ship.   
"Why? It's not like you are one of them!"   
"Yeah, not one of them..." Sheila muttered.  
Her gaze traveled back to the sea. Adrian had now caught up with her and sat down beside her.   
"Sheila... about Ar-"  
"No it's okay..."  
"No really, we believe you, but he... he hasn't trusted anyone since his father was betrayed by his brother." Sheila looked at him through the mask obviously surprised. "I've known him for twelve years and he still doesn't trust me."  
"No really, I may despise me heritage, but it give you an advantage. We can beat them." Now it was Adrian's turn to look surprised. "Gather Griez, Jerhyn, Deckard Cain, and the barbarian. Meet me in the town square in five minutes."  
"Uh, okay."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
"We can beat the Saber Cats easily if you get one thing straight." Sheila spoke to the assorted group. "Saber Cats are weak without good leadership, so we use longbows, and take out any leading cats, with Adrian's mages destroying the siege machines, and perhaps our barbarian can throw." Sheila.  
"Better than anyone in this two bit town." He proudly stated.  
"Good," Sheila replied, "You can throw exploding potions at the small huts, since many cats will sleep during the day, and attack at night." The group was obviously amazed at this strategy.  
"My ward that idea may just save Lut Gholein!" Cain praised.  
Sheila couldn't help but feel proud.   
"Yes," Griez said, "But how do you know the cats will react this way..." Griez ended with a questioning tone.  
Sheila paused for a moment and began. "I... studied with a great Vizjerei back on the Amazon Islands. He fought in Tristram, and had fair knowledge of demons."  
Everyone nodded at this. Adrian smiled, while the Hammer nodded impressed by the plan, but was still angry about that kick.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
Adrian concentrated hard and a large blood mass arose form the ground and took shape as a Blood Golem, while another mage (poison) and two skeletons clawed up from the ground. Adrian led these minions to the ramparts. The Hammer and several guards turned sashes into slings, while several more guards were preparing bows, long bows, crossbows and other ranged weapons. Adrian's four mages took positions aiming at the massive siege engines, while three melee minions took their positions ready to jump down on any brave (or just plain stupid attackers). Several lookouts were posted on the roof of the palace looking out for any sign of reinforcements, but there were none.  
"We have the sun at our backs, it's now or never." Griez muttered. Adrian looked through the ranks, twelve slingers, six long bowmen, twelve archers, and three crossbow men (beside his Pain Branch), and thirty guards and townsfolk ready to fight if the attackers breached the city. The four mages selected their targets and readied their mystical powers. The hammer chose his target of a robed cat giving orders. Adrian took one long walk down the rampart, turned and addressed the troops.   
"On my signal, unleash hell." The slingers readied their sashes, while the torches were passed from archer to archer who lit the tips of their arrows ablaze, Adrian scanned the shantytown, but no cat seemed to pay any attention to them, and the siege weapons were far from ready to attack. Adrian loaded his Pain Branch crossbow and signaled the troops. "ATTACK!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Demona the merciless was a leading Hell Cat in the ranks of the Cat lineage. The only Cat that outranked her was the sorceress Saber Cat, known as Arial the Soulless, or the Crimson Cat, or dozens of other titles... Demona was stronger than Arial, but feared her magical prowess, and stayed her distance. But now, the warriors had her chance to prove her worth by destroying Lut Gholein. She looked around. Tonight, she thought, they would strike with the siege engines. At least half of the cats were sleeping in tent-like shelters made from animal pelts, others were organizing weapons into piles, while many stood guard or constructed the siege engines. She was thinking nothing could go wrong when she heard a whizzing sound and instantly a large arrow drove itself through her throat. She gasped and wheezed out blood as dozens of fire arrows were shot into the sky. For several moments the Saber cat camp was peaceful, then chaos erupted as the arrows and crossbow bolts pelted down slaying many instantly. Exploding potions burst onto the tents and from the erupting shelter ran flaming saber cats. Demona staggered around, blood gagging her throat and blurring her vision. The last thing she saw was a spear of bone rocketing through her chest. Then she slipped into the cold embrace of death...  
The Fire mage launched forth a burst of flame burning away a ballista's wheel sending it wheeling backward into the main section of the camp. Sheila watched the battle, even angered at her once friends, she couldn't help but feel pity for them. Adrian fired forth another missile of bone directly at the weapon piles. A deafening explosion and explosion of flame had told the humans that the exploding potions had just went up in smoke, literally! The mages fired onward at the siege machines, as the archers fired endlessly, and the slingers, out of ammunition, supplied the archers with what limited arrows they had.   
After several seemingly endless minutes of raging fore, many of the cats were burned or choked on the smoke, while several small group charged at Lut Gholein's defenses. One large group of Hell Cats was rallied together by a fairly large slinger and the charged at the defenders of Lut Gholein. The large cat flung their javelins at the archers. Most of the warriors ducked in time, most. The cats pelted a steady stream of javelins over Lut Gholein's wall, making a counterattack impossible. The cats sneered as sounds of humans screaming in agony. One cat though she smelt something burning and turned to her side just as a bolt of fire plowed into her, totally engulfing her in flames. The other turned to see a sorceress clad in ring mail, she wore a crown of Simplicity, and wielded a magical war staff. She also had on magical amulets/rings that seemed to emanate mystical energy.  
She held out her war staff defensively as the cats charged her. The cats were nearly at the sorceress when flames erupt for the floor and the Hellcats hissed out as the firewall burned them. They jumped out of the way and noticed a large red mark below them on the ground. The cats looked up to see a large meteorite crush downward and pummel them.  
The sorceress focused and several more meteorites fell downwards upon the cat campsite. No survivors were seen. The sorceress walked casually towards Lut Gholein and it's cheering denizens. Indeed, another of the Courageous five had arrived.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The large crypt like fortress was dank dry and cold. It had artwork and hieroglyphs ranging back thousands of years. The lone, wounded saber cat walked down the large hallway. She gazed around the hallway, gazing at the large roman style pillars. She approached a large doorway and paused. The doors creaked open, and the cat walked into the grand chamber. The walls were covered in tall, towering bookcases that must have held record to every battle since the beginning of time. But in the center of this large room was a throne constructed of skulls, gold, and various jewels, encrusted in the frame of the massive throne. Sitting atop this mighty throne was Arial the soulless, clasping her cobra staff watching the wounded soldier approach her.   
"Empress..." she timidly began, "The attack on Lut Gholein has failed. The survivors have fled into the desert and will probably not survive the voracious Cave Leapers. The attack as a failure." The demoness sat atop her throne and chuckled always smiling her cold smile. "Empress?" The priestess/empress smiled and explained herself.  
"The attack was meant to fail." The other looked questioningly at her. "Tell me, what do you want out of life. The cat's answer was quick.   
"To hunt."   
"Yes, and I want to rule this land and its inhabitants... Tell me, since we agreed to fight for Diablo have you done that lately?" The cat shook her head. "You see those troops were loyal to Diablo, with them gone, all of the remaining saber cats follow me. If Diablo and these warriors of the light were gone, we'd take orders from no one, then you could do as you wish." It dawned on the cat. "We simply lure the warriors to the dark side and corrupt them. What a shock for the other warriors to come Lut Gholein to find their friends dead. With them out of the picture, we could lure Diablo into one the false tombs of Tal Rasha then ambush him, he may be good but he can't win I his soul stone is crushed along with him." The priestess finished with a smile.  
"Do you understand?" The cat nodded. "Good... now go." The cat left the chamber and the priestess laughed. The first part was true, but she forgot to mention that if she killed Diablo, she could use the power of his soul stone and control all of his minions, and then do the same to his brothers and their troops, and then she would control every demon on Earth. She had very high ambitions, and her ultimate goal was total dominance, and she could pull it off, all she needed were the warriors to act in the way she foresaw. After that, Earth, Hell and the high Heavens were all hers. She smiled to herself and plotted her next moves.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Well I thought I'd never see you again!" The Sorceress said running up to a surprised Adrian and kissed him. Sheila was just confused (and al little jealous), but the Hammer.  
"Sheila, may I introduce to you the sorceress known as Ice Angel. Besides giving you the cold shoulder, she's the sluttiest sorceress this side of the Khanduras." She immediately let go of a startled Adrian and marched up to the Hammer.  
"Excuse me?" She yelled in his face.  
"You heard me."  
"I'm amazed you were smart enough to insult someone you mouth-breathing anthropoid!"   
"Well at least I don't fight like a coward! You run from battle and attack your enemies from a distance like a coward!"  
"Well what were you doing to those Saber Cats!?"  
"Ambushing them! But I don't expect a little, weakling-" Ice Angel had heard enough and proved just how weak she was. And for the second time that day the Hammer lay on the ground cursing and moaning in pain.  
"Ouch, at this rate he'll never be a father." Adrian commented as Ice Angel and most of the townsfolk went about their daily lives leaving Adrian and Sheila.   
"Um, Adrian?" Sheila quietly asked the Necromancer. "What's with..." She trailed off. Adrian began.  
"Well, it all started a while ago when a was just a trainee Necromancer..."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Much, Much Later~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"My god, what a fascinating story!" Sheila exclaimed after Adrian had told her of his epic past. "So, she thinks you like." Adrian nodded, "But you can't stand her," Adrian kept nodding, "That kind of thing would only happen to you she playfully joked at the Necromancer. "Well anyway you won't have to stand her, because she and Ardidar have gone to the palace."  
"That's a relief, all I want to do is go to bed. Say, is it just me or is it pretty cold lately?"  
"Probably you're girlfriend giving you the cold shoulder."   
"If you call her my girlfriend one more time..."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Later~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Sheila walked up the inn stairs and quietly opened the door to Adrian's inn room. She tiptoed in, noticing that he was sound asleep and his minions were nowhere to be seen. She shivered. It WAS getting colder. She closed the windows, and laid herself down on the couch, but was still very cold. The temperature seemed to drop regularly. Sheila thought it must be her getting back at Adrian, after all the Hammer must've have told her already of her past... But t6hat didn't help the freezing cat any. She glanced over to Adrian, who was sleeping soundly. He does look kind of cute when he's sleeping she thought. Oh what the hell, she thought and once again slipped in the bed and curled up next to Adrian. She smiled as she dozed off. She could have never guessed what happened next.   
  
TO BE CONCLUDED!  
  
Remember to review, I need the feedback I tells ya!   



	6. Conclusion

Here it is... Sorry bout the wait...The epic conclusion to the series "The Puppetmaster." And now without further ado....  
  
"THE PUPPETMASTER"  
  
PART VI- CONCLUSION  
  
By Alpha Draconis  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The early mourning sunlight peeked into the inn room. Sheila stirred, and opened her eyes. She got up and noticed Adrian was gone. She looked around. His flail, his shield and his Helm, were here, but he was not. As she donned her own outfit, she realized he must have been talking to the others. She gazed out the balcony into the city of Lut Gholein. She noticed that all of his minions were still guarding the city's walls. This was odd. She left the room and knocked on the door opposite to their room. After several minutes the Hammer opened the door.  
"Oh hey She-"  
"Where is Adrian?" She asked bluntly. "His weapons are back in the room and his minions are still guarding the city's walls. Do you where he is?"  
"Uh no, but this isn't the best time-" The Hammer cut off by a familiar voice.  
"Hey where is my shirt?" Asked Ice Angel from somewhere in the Hammer's Inn room. Sheila gawked at him while the barbarian turned a deep shade of crimson.  
"I don't even want to know..." She trailed off. "So he's missing? Will you help me find him?"  
"Uh, well... you see the Arcane Sanctuary-"   
"Oh I get it, the place is more important than your best friend's life?"  
"LOOK! This is bigger than you or me, or anyone here. If you want to search for him, do it yourself then!" After that the Hammer quickly guarded his groin but Sheila scratched him in the face and walked off to find her friend, while the Hammer cussed.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Adrian felt tired but was half awake. He bolted up when he realized that he was in large Tomb-like library with thousands upon of thousands of bookcases. Something tells me I'm not in Lut Gholein anymore, he grimly thought. He realized that he was only wearing his armour. He had no weapons except... for his Yew Wand of the Magus. He was given this a long time ago, but he kept it for adornment and summoning purposes, but he may need it to save his life. He looked around the large room, and a voice seemed to echo throughout the chamber.  
"Ah, good. You're awake..." The feminine voice began. Adrian tucked the wand into his belt. If he could get in melee range of his attackers he had an ace up his sleeve. A large rock portion of the ceiling slide aside as a mysterious being floated. At first he thought it was Ice Angel pulling some joke but when he realized that this person was not even human he knew he was in trouble.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Sheila had been walking in the blazing deserts for nearly an hour. She noticed no foes in the desert except for maybe one stray Sand Maggot. She was suffering sunstroke but walked on. She knew the odds of finding him here were slim, and even slimmer of him being alive. She ducked behind a large boulder as she saw several Sabre Cats speaking in their native tongue. She was shocked at what she heard. The legendary demoness Arial had captured a bone mage as the said, but Sheila knew it had to be Adrian. The cats left. How was she going to rescue Adrian from the most powerful Sabre Cat on Earth? She knew where temple was, and that's a start. This was not going to be easy she grimly thought as she followed the other cats.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Adrian watched the cat approach. She bared her fangs in a twisted smile. In a blur of motion, Adrian pulled out his Yew Wand and slammed it across the side of her face, with that her turned to run, but his legs were frozen to the ground. Her turned around to see the cat.  
"Well, it seems as if you will harder to control than I had anticipated." She gloated. She raised her sceptre and out of the skull, a greenish mist emanated from it. Adrian tried not to breath in, but the mist covered him. After several minutes Adrian could hold his breathed for no longer and breathed in the foul air. He struggled, and yelled out in pain for several moments and then stopped moving. In his eyes the blue colour, was gone, and a cloudy dark colour fogged up his eyes.  
The cat laughed maniacally and her hideous laugh reverberated throughout the decaying, dank crypt of the underground temple.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~LATER~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
The Hammer swung his twin maces fearlessly, streaming through Blunderbore flesh. The beast wailed and lurched over as the Hammer continued on relentlessly through the demon-infested Harem. Ice Angel let forth bolts of ice freezing and shattering hordes of Horror archers. The two had ventured down far beneath the palace, but had sadly found no survivors. The stopped to catch their breaths, once the monsters in this level were crushed and laying in piles on the floor.   
"Not *pant* bad for a *pant* weakling magi." The Hammer panted.  
"Yeah, *pant* as least your better in the field *pant* then in bed." She retorted.  
"What? *pant* You dirty bitch!" He yelled.  
"What's the matter warrior? The truth sting like a cobra's bite?"  
"I wouldn't be talking miss 'Easier-to-make-than-a-peanut-butter-and-jelly-sandwich!" With that the Hammer was once again upon the ground in real pain.  
  
While in the desert wastelands Sheila had tracked the other cats to their final destination ...  
  
  
  
The blazing sun burned down upon the arid, endless wastelands of the Aranoch. Sheila strained to stay conscious in the insanely high temperature of the desert. As she crept through the narrow valley after the other cats she stopped and saw an amazing sight. Hundreds of cats, maybe more than the ones who besieged Lut Gholein were in this large canyon. After noticing the ruins picketed throughout the canyon, Sheila came to the conclusion that this was the legendary canyon of the Magi.   
The cats seemed organized in large battalions. Each battalion was lead by some more powerful cat. Luckily for Sheila, the cats were leaving. Several battalions walked into large portals while other went off into the horizons. Leaving the large temple like structure they near unguarded and empty, like... a tomb.  
  
Sheila checked and double checked that all of the other cats were gone, and she readied her javelins, buckler and slipped several throwing knifes into her belt which she had 'relieved' from Ardidar earlier. She took a deep breath and stealthily ran towards her goal.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Sheila walked deep into the temple, with the light from the entrance diminishing to nothing more than a tiny flicker of light. All around the walls were grand tapestries and hieroglyphs, depicting the Tal Rasha, and the three prime evils.   
At long last she approached a large doorway, stained red with blood, and carved to look like the gateway of hell, with skulls and tortured souls, it was quite a sight to bear witness to. Sheila readied her weapons, nervously looked around. She looked up the doors and opened them. With great noise the doors swung open. Sheila readied herself as she lunged into the room. It was an incredibly large library with bookcases stretching high up. In the room centre was a large throne. She was about to walk when she was slammed to the ground. She turned behind her and saw... Adrian. No, not her Adrian she thought as he saw a dark glow emanate from his eyes. She rolled to one side as this evil Adrian slashed at her with some wand.  
"He is under my total control." A Sabre Cat spoke as she emerged from the shadows. "And he is my ticket to rule this world."  
"What have you done to him?" Sheila sneered.  
"I have made him my slave, and he will be my weapon to defeat Diablo himself! After Diablo is dead, I will be able to control the World Stone in Mount Arreat. Then I will be the most powerful being, even more powerful than the High Heavens, and The prime Evils!"  
"You were the one who sentenced me to death!"   
"You were a thorn in my side, and you could've have ruined everything, but now you nothing. I'll see you in hell." With that she raised her hand, and the corrupted Adrian attacked.  
  
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The Wanderer and his companion Marius steeped into the cold and dank crypt of the tomb. The Wanderer walked boldly and fearlessly into the tomb while Marius stood at the doorway, looking back into the desert and slowly following his companion into the dark, dark tomb.  
  
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The demoness Arial had walked her way over to a large Demonic iron altar while Sheila was trying desperately to avoid Adrian.  
"In mere moments, I will teleport all of my troops to destroy Diablo when he is not in his full form, then Baal will be easy to destroy. Then the weakest one, Mephisto will be fair game."  
Sheila was backed against a wall and Adrian was menacingly advancing.  
"Adrian," She whispered, "What happened to you..."  
He rushed forward and began to choke her. There was an unnatural evil in his eyes that seemed to darken. "Adrian please..." She struggled to no avail. "I-I love you."  
Adrian nearly fell back, colour returning to his eyes. It was shock to him but it seemed so... right. A black shadow seemed to ooze out of Adrian, and then quickly dissipated into nothing. Adrian felt a pounding headache, and remembered everything... especially what had just happened. He looked towards the evil Cat who stood over the iron altar conjuring unknown power before them. Adrian had enough. Standing up arms outstretched, he concentrated harder than ever before. Blue mist whipped around him, making his brown hair move as if it was alive, while Adrian's eyes gleamed a bright glow.   
The cat had nearly made a portal suitable to move her troops with when the iron altar burst upwards, twisting and contorting in a spiralling pattern, eventually forming into a large behemoth of metal, towering before her. She held up her staff defensively, only to have the have the Iron Golem simply stab out his arm directly into her chest. She gagged blood and fell to the ground. The Golem melted back into a metal state, with his task completed.  
"Adrian..." Sheila tried to begin, but instantaneously from the other cat's corpse, a red bolt of energy shot towards the throne in the large desert sanctuary. A chain effect, or trap set of explosions throughout the room causing large sections of the room to collapse. Adrian conjured a town portal and pulled Sheila and himself into it mere seconds before the large desert building smashed into rubble.  
  
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The town portal opened up in Elzix's Inn, and both of the warriors were flung into the room. Sheila landed comfortably on the bed while Adrian hit the floor instead. Adrian stood, and walked over to Sheila.  
"About earlier..."  
"I'm sorry Adrian, I was just-"  
"No it's not that... I care about you too."  
For a moment the two just stared at each other. Then Sheila smiled and hugged him tight, silently crying tears of joy.   
Adrian hugged her back thinking over his life. Most Rathmians, left home at a young age, and had to accept that love was not going to happen, but just about everything he learned, had just been turned upside down recently. He left his family when he was five, so he never knew his family. The closest thing he had were the Rathmian Elders who would teach the students, but until now, something had always seemed missing in Adrian's life. Now he knew. And he never wanted anything to change.  
The rest is history...   
  
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The mystic blue portal from Tal Rasha's tomb formed in the marketplace in the center of Lut Gholein. From it came the Hammer, and Ice Angel, covered in blood, and what seemed to be white, maggot-like blood. The Hammer's war hammer was dented in several areas, and Ice Angel's staff was nearly split in two. Both looked like they had been to hell and back.  
"I never want to see another tomb as long as I live." Ice Angel moaned. The Hammer just grunted in agreement. Ice angel walked off in another section of Lut Gholein. The Hammer was dead on his feet, and headed straight for his inn room. He trudged up the stairs and noticed that Adrian was back. How could he tell? Adrian leaves his boots out front of his room. The Hammer banged on the door.  
  
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Adrian awoke, hearing the Hammer. He stood out of bed, put his shirt on, and walked out to meet his old friend. He opened the door to meet the barbarian.  
"Adrian?"  
"Ardy?"   
"What happened to you?"   
"You first."  
"Diablo beat us, yadda-yadda-yadda we need to find him and Baal, before they enter hell through the gate in Kurast. You?"  
"Was a pawn in a plot for world domination, but killed the evil demoness, with the help of-  
"Your kitten friend."  
Adrian smiled.  
"We're more than friends."  
Adrian closed the door, leaving behind a befuddled Barbarian.  
Adrian walked into the bedroom, seeing that Sheila had awoken and was staring at the sunset on the balcony. Adrian walked up to her.  
(Start playing 'She Likes Me For Me' by Blessed Union of souls)   
  
He stood beside her as the two looked out to the sun as it seemingly sunk into the ocean. Adrian put his arm around her and spoke.  
"There's just one thing I don't understand..."  
The Sabre Cat looked up at him.  
"Why did Ice Angel sleep with the Hammer?" Adrian asked.  
"She was probably thinking of you."  
"Well you can't blame her." Adrian joked as the two watched the sun set out of sight...  
  
THE END!  
  
  
  
Finally!  
  
Any questions, comments, death threats? Don't forget to review!   



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